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Actigraphy
Last reviewed: 07.06.2024
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Actigraphy is a method of automatic measurement of body movement for determining periods of rest and activity as indicators of sleep and wakefulness rhythms, including over a long period of time. Registration (recording) of movement is performed by a portable device - actigraph. [1]
Indications for the procedure
Classical polysomnography - the main method of investigating sleep disorders - cannot be completely replaced by actigraphy, as it does not record data of brain, heart and respiratory activity during sleep. However, in clinical practice and scientific research, actigraphy is used as portable sleep monitoring in a natural environment (outside the clinic, without attached sensors). [2]
Indications for actigraphy include:
- insomnia (insomnia);
- circadian rhythm sleep disorder and delayed sleep phase syndrome;
- sleep disorder with shift work;
- increased sleepiness, idiopathic hypersomnia and pathologic daytime sleepiness - narcolepsy.
In clinical settings, actigraphy is used to assess sleep patterns and detect movement disorders in patients who have difficulty with polysomnography, particularly infants and elderly dementia sufferers.
This method is also useful for assessing response to treatment in patients with sleep disorders.
Technique of the actigraphy
Actigraphy can hardly be called a procedure, since an actigraph is worn like a watch on the wrist of the non-driving hand (or on the ankle) to assess sleep disturbances - based on data recording acceleration or deceleration of body movements.
The actigraph is based on a digital accelerometer, a measuring device for quantifying changes in direction of motion (acceleration), which is used in a variety of applications. The device also has a digital memory and interface for data storage and retrieval. [3]
Typically, the study data are downloaded from the actigraph using a USB cable or memory card reader to a computer equipped with analysis software.
Actigraphs used in sleep studies measure the frequency of a person's movements based on picked up signals of body acceleration as the body shifts and collect information including total sleep time, sleep onset latency, period of wakefulness after sleep onset, and nocturnal awakenings.
It is recommended to wear the actigraph for at least three days to assess the circadian rhythm. And longer use of the device allows you to get more accurate data.
Actigraphy has no contraindications and the actigraph can be worn for days or weeks This test is helpful in diagnosing sleep disorders.